The present invention relates to a connector.
As a connector which is to be used in a vehicle or the like, a structure has been known in which a relay terminal is attached to an electric wire for supplying an electric current to a load, and the wire is connected through the relay terminal to a female terminal that is connected to a power supply. In this structure, the relay terminal is accommodated in a rear connector, the female terminal is accommodated in a front connector, and the front connector is assembled to a rear connector, thereby forming a connector (see Patent Literature 1).
When the front and rear connectors are assembled to each other in a state where a tolerance exists between the connectors, however, the position of the female terminal with respect to a mating terminal of the counter connector is shifted. Therefore, there arises a disadvantage that the female terminal fails to be in contact with the mating terminal. In a vehicle, vibrations during travelling are transmitted to the wire, and further transmitted to the female terminal through the relay terminal to vibrate the female terminal. The vibrations cause the female terminal and the mating terminal to wear, and cutting products formed in the wearing may metamorphose to cause the conductivity to be reduced.
Therefore, Patent Literature 2 discloses a connector in which a tolerance can be absorbed, and vibrations are not transmitted to a female terminal. As shown in FIG. 7, the connector 501 includes: plate-like terminals 505 respectively connected to terminals of electric wires 503; a rear connector 507 in which the plate-like terminals 505 are accommodated; and a front connector 511 in which box-shaped female terminals 509 that are assembled into the rear connector 507, and that are respectively connected to the plate-like terminals 505 are accommodated. The female terminals are to be connected to mating terminals which are on the side of an electric apparatus, respectively. The plate-like terminals 505 are connected to the female terminals 509 through connecting terminals 513 which are formed by soft members that can absorb positional displacements between the plate-like terminals 505 and the female terminals 509, and vibrations of the plate-like terminals 505, respectively.
A shield shell 515 is configured by an upper shell 517 and an under shell 519, and the shells are assembled by holding brackets 521. The front connector 511 is formed by a front housing body 523 (front housing) and a housing front 525. The housing front 525 has a lower front portion 527 and an upper front portion 529, and these members can be assembled to each other.
In the connector 501, the plate-like terminals 505 are connected to the female terminals 509 through the connecting terminals 513. Even when a tolerance exists between the rear connector 507 and the front connector 511, therefore, it is possible to absorb positional displacements corresponding to the tolerance and between the female terminals 509 and the plate-like terminals 505, and also to fix the female terminals 509 at predetermined positions of the front connector 511. Therefore, the female terminals 509 can be satisfactorily contacted with mating terminals.
In the case where the plate-like terminals 505 are vibrated by vibrations transmitted from the wires 503, the connecting terminals 513 which are formed by soft members absorb the vibrations, and hence the vibrations are not transmitted to the female terminals 509. Therefore, vibrations can be prevented from being transmitted between the female terminals 509 and mating terminals of a counter connector which is on the side of an electric apparatus, with the result that the female terminals 509 can be surely connected to the mating terminals.
[Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2004-253163
[Patent Literature 2] JP-A-2013-232371